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Pomona getting ready to defend 5A wrestling state title

Lakewood’s Gabe Dinette, right, is favored to win a third individual state wrestling title at Pepsi Center in Denver.

Photo by Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools

Pomona’s Doug Mills works on getting back points against Lakewood’s Michael Inouye during a Class 5A Jeffco League dual Jan. 30 at Lakewood High School. Mills scored a 10-2 victory.

Photo by Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools

Posted
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 3:48 pm

Dennis Pleuss
Jeffco Public Schools

LAKEWOOD — The prep wrestling season is quickly coming to a close with regional and state tournaments just on the horizon.

Pomona coach Sam Federico has the right mindset as his back-to-back Class 5A team champion Panthers attempt for a three-peat at Pepsi Center in just more than a week.

“You can’t win a state tournament at regionals, but you can lose one,” Federico said after Pomona’s 37-21 dual road victory over Lakewood on Jan. 30. “You have to be ready to go at regionals.”

Federico added that he is focusing on keep his wrestlers healthy as the regular season came to a close last week.

The Panthers head to the state-qualifying 5A Region 2 tournament Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9 and 10, at Adams City High School in Commerce City.

“I feel like our team is ready. We have all the tools they just have to preform to their best and let everything fly,” Pomona junior and defending state champion Colton Yapoujian said about the postseason. “Honestly, everyone is 0-0 and it really doesn’t matter what has happened. It matters at regionals and then the next week at Pepsi Center.”

The Panthers put up an impressive 192.5 team points at the state tournament last year. Despite having a trio of returning state champions in juniors Justin Pacheco, Theorius Robison and Yapoujian it’s expected to be a tight team race Feb. 15-17 at Pepsi Center.

“The experience helps, but as far as the two state titles they are new every year,” Federico said. “This state tournament is going to be a lot closer. There are six teams that are saying, ‘We are going to win it.’ We are one of them.”

Mills had one of the higher profile matches facing Lakewood senior Michael Inouye who was a state qualifier last season and is ranked No. 8 at 220.

“I knew he (Inouye) was going to be a tough kid,” Mills said after his 10-2 victory. “I knew I had to keep moving the pace and moving him.”

Lakewood might not have the depth that the Panthers have heading into the final weeks of the wrestling season, but the Tigers have two individuals expected to challenge for state titles.

Two-time state champion Gabe Dinette is attempting to become the first three-time state wrestling champion in Lakewood history before he heads for Stanford University. Dinette remained undefeated against in-state opponents with a 10-4 victory over Cruz, a freshman.

“At this time of year you want to see everybody. We know what to expect the next time we see him,” Federico said of Cruz facing Dinette for the first time. “He just had to get it out of his system. You are a freshman at 160 and facing a senior and two-time state champ with a college scholarship. He was nervous about it, but it was good for him.”

Lakewood coach Daren Stennes said it was also good for Dinette to get a look at the freshman who he very well might see at state.

“It was a good test for Gabe. He wrestled good and smart,” Stennes said. “That kid (Cruz) has a lot of potential to score on us.”

Besides Dinette’s victory, the Tigers had wins in two other matches.

“We had a couple of seniors win at 170 (Calvin Robertson) and 182 (David Schadler) which were nice wins for them. They have worked hard,” Stennes said.

Lakewood senior Hayden Still, who has signed to wrestle at Oregon State University, has his eyes on a heavyweight title. Still is ranked No. 2, but has been sidelined with a foot injury for a handful of weeks. Stennes said Still has been cleared to practice and should be back soon baring a setback.

Lakewood stays a little closer to home for its regional tournament. The Tigers will be at Arvada West High School on Feb. 9 and 10.

Dennis Pleuss is a communications specialist at Jeffco Public Schools with a focus on athletics and activities. For more Jeffco coverage, go to CHSAANow.com/Jeffco.

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